


The First Bride of Green Gables

by summer_of_1985



Series: You are the fond object of my affection and my desire [14]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne leaves home, Book: Anne's House of Dreams - L. M. Montgomery, Chapter Four: The First Bride of Green Gables, Doctor Gilbert Blythe, F/M, Included sections of the book, Married Couple, Married Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:53:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25630018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summer_of_1985/pseuds/summer_of_1985
Summary: Anne is finally marrying her childhood friend and darling sweetheart, Gilbert Blythe. As she steps from Anne of Green Gables to her house of dreams in Glen St. Mary.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: You are the fond object of my affection and my desire [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1611820
Kudos: 20





	The First Bride of Green Gables

_Anne wakened on the morning of her wedding day to find the sunshine winking in at the window of the little porch gable and a September breeze frolicking with her curtains._

_"I'm so glad the sun will shine on me," she thought happily._

_She recalled the first morning she had wakened in that little porch room, when the sunshine had crept in on her through the blossom-drift of the old Snow Queen. That had not been a happy wakening, for it brought with it the bitter disappointment of the preceding night. But since then the little room had been endeared and consecrated by years of happy childhood dreams and maiden visions. To it she had come back joyfully after all her absences; at its window she had knelt through the butter agony when she believed Gilbert dying, and by it she had sat in speechless happiness the night of her betrothal. Many vigils of joy and some of sorrow had been kept there; and today she must leave it forever. Henceforth it would be hers no more; fifteen-year-old Dora was to inherit it when she had gone. Nor did Anne wish it otherwise; the little room was sacred to youth and girlhood - to the past that was to close today before the chapter of wifehood opened._

_Green Gables was a busy and joyous house that forenoon. Diana arrived early, with little Fred and Small Anne Cordelia, to lend a hand. Davy and Dora, the Green Gable twins, whisked the babies off to the garden._

_"Don't let Small Anne Cordelia spoil her clothes," warned Diana anxiously._

_"You needn't be afraid to trust her with Dora," said Marilla. "That child is more sensible and careful than most of the mothers I've known. She's really a wonder in some ways. Not much like that other harum-scarum I brought up."_

_Marilla smiled across her chicken salad at Anne. It might even be that she liked the harum-scarum best after all._

_"Those twins are real nice children," said Mrs. Rachel, when she was sure they were out of earshot. "Dora is so womanly and helpful, and Davy is developing into a very smart boy. He isn't the holy terror for mischief he used to be."_

_"I was never so distracted in my life as I was the first six months he was here," acknowledged Marilla. "After that I suppose I got used to him. He's taken a great notion to farming lately, and wants me to let him try running the farm next year. I may, for Mr. Barry doesn't think he'll want to rent it much longer, and some new arrangement will have to be made."_

_"Well, you certainly have a lovely day for your wedding, Anne," said Diana, as she slipped a voluminous apron over her silken array. "You couldn't have had a finer one if you'd ordered it from Eaton's."_

_"Indeed, there's too much money going out of this Island to that same Eaton's," said Mrs. Lynde indignantly. She had strong views on the subject of octopus-like department stores, and never lost an opportunity of airing them. "And as for those catalogues of theirs, they're the Avonlea girls' Bible now, that's what. They pore over them on Sundays instead of studying the Holy Scriptures."_

_"Well, they're splendid to amuse children with," said Diana. "Fred and Small Anne look at the pictures by the hour."_

"I _amused ten children without the aid if Eaton's catalogue," said Mrs. Rachel severely._

_"Come, you two, don't quarrel over Eaton's catalogue," said Anne gaily. "This is my day of days, you know. I'm so happy I want everyone else to be happy too."_

_"I'm sure I hope your happiness will last, child," sighed Mrs. Rachel. She did hope it truly, and believed it, but she was afraid it was in the nature of a challenge to Providence to flaunt your happiness too openly. Anne, for her own good, must be toned down a trifle._

_But it was a happy and beautiful bride who came down the old, homespun-carpeted stairs that September noon - the first bride of Green Gables, slender and shining-eyed, in the mist of her maiden veil, with her arms full of roses. Gilbert, waiting for her in the hall below, looked up at her with adoring eyes. She was his at last, this evasive, long-sought Anne, won after years of patient waiting. It was to him she was coming in the sweet surrender of the bride. Was he worthy of her? Could he make her as happy as he hoped? If he failed her - if he could not measure up to her standard of manhood - then, as she held out her hand, their eyes met and all doubt was swept away in a glad certainty. They belonged to each other; and, no matter what life might hold for them, it could never alter that. Their happiness was in each other's keeping and both were unafraid_.

* * *

Gilbert was stood waiting for Anne, fiddling with the pink rose in his lapel, similar to the tissue paper one he'd picked up after he recited _Bigen on the Rhine_. He will never forget looking over at Anne when he recited the words _'There's another, NOT a sister',_ while her nose had been shoved in a book.

When he heard her shoes hitting the carpeted floor, he looked up and saw her walking, his heart landed over and a massive smile made its way onto his face. "Wow," he says as she was finally stood in the hall looking at him with her hand held out for him to take. "You look so beautiful, carrots," he presses a kiss to her hand.

"Gil," she grinned, as she fiddled with the edge of her veil. Her wedding day had finally arrived - even after she told Matthew she would never get married.

Gilbert had finally won the heart of his ideal woman. His Anne, with her seven tiny freckles on her nose. His future was always a girl with big, limpid grey eyes, and a face as fine and delicate as a flower. He had made up his mind, also, that his future must be worthy of its goddess.

He takes her face with both of his hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead, despite the tutting coming from Rachel Lynde - but he really didn't care, he was marrying the woman of his dreams today!

* * *

_They were married in the sunshine of the old orchard, circled by the loving and kindly faces of long-familiar friends. Mr. Allen married them, and the Reverend Jo made what Mrs. Rachel Lynde afterwards pronounced to be the "most beautiful wedding prayer" she had ever heard. Birds do not often sing in September, but one sang sweetly from some hidden bough while Gilbert and Anne repeated their deathless vows. Anne heard it and thrilled to it ; Gilbert heard it, and wondered only that all the birds in the world had not burst into jubilant song; Paul heard it and later wrote a lyric about it which was one of the most admired in his first volume of verse; Charlotta the Fourth heard it and was blissfully sure it meant good luck for her adored Miss Shirley. The bird sang until the ceremony was ended and then it wound up with one mad little, glad little trill. Never had the old grey-green house among its enfolding orchards known a blither, merrier afternoon. All the old jests and quips that must have done duty at weddings since Eden were served up, and seemed as new and brilliant and mirth-provoking as if they had never been uttered before. Laughter and joy had their way; and when Anne and Gilbert left to catch the Carmody train, with Paul as their driver, the twins ready with rice and old shoes, in the throwing of which Charlotta the Fourth and Mr. Harrison bore a valiant part. Marilla stood at the gate and watched the carriage out of sight down the long lane with its banks of goldenrod. Anne turned at its end to wave her last good-bye. She was gone - Green Gables was her home no more; Marilla's face looked very grey and old as she turned to the house which Anne had filled for fourteen years, and even in her absence, with light and life._


End file.
